Zodiac Whispers
by Kage Model ZX
Summary: A couple of years after the curse, what have the Sohmas been doing? And Tohru? Uo? Hanajima? This fic is written from a variety of viewpoints. I DO NOT OWN FRUITS BASKET! *sob* ; ;
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, and welcome to my first ever fanfic! Well, first on here, anyhow..! Please note that this fic contains yaoi, swearing, possible violence, alcohol use... and also note that I DO NOT OWN FRUITS BASKET! I wish I did, but I don't. I'm just messing around with the creators characters. Please review!**

**Chapter One.**

The deep slate-grey eyes turned away from the house, fighting tears away as he headed back in the direction he had come from.  
"Stupid, stupid... I should have known, all of us, all these years we should have all seen it coming..." Hatsuharu raised a single hand to his head, and ran his fingers through the snow-white hair on top of his head, before subconsciously toying with the pendant around his neck. The pendant his only love gave him... the same love that had broken his heart over and over so very many times before.

"Haruuuuuuu!" the loud yell came as he approached the main gate. _Oh fantastic... just what I need... _Haru thought, as he spied the tell-tale blonde hair and unmistakeable girls clothing bounding toward him. "Momiji, hi"

"You weren't gone very long Haru... were Shigure and the others not home?" Momiji asked loudly, as always "That's a shame, I was thinking of going to see if anyone had heard from Tohru".  
"Momiji... Tohru hasn't written in quite some time now – her studies must be keeping her in a mad panic constantly, you remember when she was at school with us... she's probably even worse at Tokyo U... " Haru trailed off as he saw his cousin's face fall, before lightening his small speech "don't worry, though – I'm sure she'll call or write soon".

Momiji's small face, though starting to age into a more boyish look lit up with a huge grin "Yeah! Let me know if she calls, promise? You WILL tell me won't you? Won't you?!"  
"Yeah, sure, whatever Momiji... listen, I... I gotta go... I have an appointment to keep with Hatori... you know what he's like if we miss out on our checkups, don't you?" Not waiting for a response, Hatsuharu turned away, walking through the gardens toward the family clinic.

He wondered briefly if he would see Akito leaning from the window, as he did most days since Tohru had left. That thought was quickly snuffed out with a hope that he wouldn't – the features of the once twisted family head were too much like... his. Haru choked back tears, and thought back over the past couple of years.

_After confronting her, and telling her over and over how she wished to befriend ALL of the Sohma's, Akito had... changed. Tohru had touched her, and she had become less – well, less sadistic. Her visits to the main house had brought life into the whole family, __happiness and a joy that had never been there before, or at least not that he could remember. Since Tohru had left for Tokyo U, however, Akito had once again become withdrawn, her illness once again showing – though just the smallest hint of Tohru_ _and her eyes would light dimly, her pale features changing into a warm, but still pale smile_. That made Haru happy, the fact that of, out of all people, she had been the one to change everything – but then, why did she leave? Just one day up and announced she'd been accepted into university and was taking it?

His eyebrows furrowed, but he quickly calmed himself, realising he had reached his destination. Raising his hand, he quickly checked to ascertain that his tears were indeed gone, before lightly rapping against the door. He'd barely taken his knuckles from the panel when it slid open to reveal an older man, maybe in his early thirties, wearing a crisp white coat over a fairly casual suit with his hair brushed forward over his left eye. _The old Akito might be gone,_ Haru thought, _but the scars still remain..._

"Hatsuharu, you're late" Hatori stated blankly, matter-of-factly - as always – as his good eye looked the younger Sohma up and down, before a flicker of concern clouded his face as he moved aside. Walking in, Haru tried to hide his eyes, but for a man with only one eye_... damn, he can see everything..!_

"Take a seat. And tell me what's wrong, Haru." Hearing his 'pet' name spill from the elder Sohma's mouth, Hatsuharu lost it – the tears flowed freely down his cheeks, the sobs came out in large, ragged gasps, as he threw himself into the family doctor's arms, wanting nothing more than to be hidden away in the arms of anyone... but more so in the arms of one person in particular...


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"NO, NO, NO, you've got it ALL wrong!" Ayame cried out in distress, as Mine, his assistant, was already running off to gather more outfits for their hapless victim.  
"I'm so sor... I mean... how is it wrong?" cried out a familiar face, from under a not-so-familiar hairdo. Ritsu twirled in front of a mirror, admiring the new person before him. After so many years of being shy and quiet, always hiding under women's clothing, he had summoned up what little courage he had and asked to work at Ayame's store, hoping that some of his idol's confidence would rub off on him. And indeed it had.

After two years of working there, Ritsu had become a little... a LOT louder. And just this morning, Ayame had started blabbering about what a great person he was blah blah blah... and all of a sudden, he'd been thrust into a chair, wheeled into the back room and confronted by Mine in her latest ensemble, a bubblegum-pink nurse's uniform... and looking scarier than ever, her eyes flashing beneath her glasses as she wielded a pair of scissors. In the past, he would have transformed, there on the spot – now however, though still startled, he was able to escape with one raised, questioning eyebrow... if not a small squeak, quickly shushed by more of Ayame's blathering.

And now, a few hours later, there they were – well, Ayame and Mine – rushing about the store, gathering garments of so many colors, so many shapes... Ritsu was overwhelmed by the constant bickering between his manager and co-worker, neither of them able to finish what they were saying but yet both knowing the full story.

"Don't you think..." Mine would begin.  
"Oh good gracious no! I thought that to begin with..." Ayame cried out.  
"But without the length..." - Mine  
"Yes that's exactly right! Perhaps if we..." – Ayame.  
"Ohhhhh YES! What about if we add some..." – Mine.  
"Yes, well done, Mine! Some pale fuchsia would be simply DIVINE!" – Ayame again.  
"YAYYYY! I got a compliment! Oh what about.." – Mine.  
"Oh no the pale of the..." – Ayame.  
"Oh yes, it would completely drown out his..." – Mine.  
"Yes exactly! Which is why..." – Ayame. This is when Ritsu tuned it all out, hearing nothing but cries of joy, or denial, from the two of them, and began to walk slowly, carefully, through the shelving.

_Such beautiful colours... so many possibilities..._ he thought, as he ran his fingers lightly down the arm of a deep grey trenchcoat, very similar to Hatsuharu's, only..._ different... just like she always said I could be..._like all of the other Sohmas, Ritsu, as well, had been greatly upset by the news that Tohru was leaving, but until recently they had all gotten letters, phone calls – even a few visits, during semester break..! He smiled as he pulled the trenchcoat from the rack, and remembered the first day they had met...

"_Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry!" the girl cried out in shock, "here let me help you..."  
"Oh my, heavens no, I should be the one apologising to you, after all..." Ritsu stammered "I'm the one who ran into you..!"  
"Ok, well, either way, let me help you pick those up..." the girl knelt to the ground, and almost fell flat and died from shock with the screamed apologies and declarations of self-pity that followed – VERY loudly – afterwards._

_Oh Tohru, you would be SO proud to see me now..! _Ritsu smiled to himself, as he eyed the darker sections of the store, choosing clothes to go with the trenchcoat and vest he had lifted off the shelves, before catching a glimpse of his now peaked hair in the mirror, almost like a Mohawk, and thought with a grin... _Well... they say black goes with everything... and I'm sure Ha'ri will love it..!_

Standing tall, Ritsu slipped on the new ensemble, and walked from the store – leaving Ayame and Mine to bicker incoherently until they realised he'd left - already thinking about who he should ask to help him apply the black hair dye he was on his way to buy.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three.**

Arisa Uotani bowed deeply to her master, a flush of pride growing up her cheeks.  
"Thank you, sensei, but... I still need more training..!"  
Kazuma laughed loudly, beaming at her, before speaking in gasps, trying to hold back even further peals of laughter. "How ironic – you remind me of another of my students! He tells me that after every session – and though I have yet to tell him, well – he comes so _close _to defeating me, I'm almost scared to train him anymore!" Uo looked up in confusion, but also in a slight anger "I hope you aren't comparing me to that damn carrot-top!" Again, Kazuma fought back his laughter, before finally using his discipline to return to his serious self – "Ari – I mean, Uo – if you could see what I can, you can see that you and he are almost the same. He trains to beat Yuki... you train to beat _Him. _But enough talk, I have Kagura coming any minute now, and we both know what happens when she has to wait for another student to leave..._ "_

He had barely finished speaking her name, but Uo was gone- she remembered the last time she had been at the dojo when Kagura had shown up... the hospital remembered too, all too well, from the bone dislocations, and the fact that, though she was heavily broken, she had – no actual broken bones. She shuddered as she walked into the warm summer breeze, thankful that Kazuma had taught all his students the meaning of discipline extremely well.

As she walked through the streets, thinking about the day that she and Kyo had come to blows – everyone knew it was bound to happen – she chuckled to herself. That had been the day Kazuma had asked if she would like to train under him – at first, she had been defiant. _I'll think about it, _she had said softly, not really thinking about it seriously. It wasn't until she had spoken at length with Yuki – _Prince Yuki, _the fan club girls kept reminding her – that she took it seriously. After all, what better ways to beat the carrot-top than to train under his master, learn his technique, and find his weaknesses?

_That damn carrot-top, _she thought angrily, _how can he be so hard to beat? I was sure distracting him by talking about the Prince was BOUND to make him lose concentration... but... _she paused, her eyes opening in shock, _Of course! Why didn't I see it – The Prince is his STRENGTH! He strives to beat him..! So of course he's going to be stronger if he's thinking about his greatest rival..!_

Arisa Uotani laughed at herself, and began to run home for two reasons. Firstly, to devise a new plan to challenge Kyo – _AGAIN_ – and also, like everyone it seemed, to hopefully find a letter from dear, sweet Tohru...


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four.**

Momiji Sohma gazed wistfully after his cousin, wondering what was wrong. _Has he heard something bad about Tohru..? No, he would have said something if it was... _the former rabbit shrugged, before wandering off to see if any of the younger family members were home, or at the least for something to do. He doubted that a lot... ever since the curse had been lifted, Kisa and Hiro had rarely been seen at the main house – they could finally have the childhood that all of the Sohmas had always wanted.

At that last thought, the blonde let out a huge sigh – the curse had been lifted, and he'd been able to get a lot closer to his younger sister, Momo, thanks to that – but he still couldn't bring himself to approach Ha'ri, still couldn't see himself asking the Sohma doctor-slash-hypnotist to restore his mother's memory of himself. He could still see her, painted clearly in his mind, screaming, crying, shaking...

"_How could I have brought that... that... THING into this world! It's disgusting! Keep it AWAY FROM ME!!!"_

Forcing that memory away, he replaced it with a new one – Tohru, the night they'd run into each other at the hospital where she worked which his father coincidentally owned. That brought another thought – all the occurrences that had brought Tohru into their lives, even if they had never happened – he may have met Tohru after all. _Of course, she wouldn't have known about the Sohma curse – but that wouldn't change who she was, would it? _Momiji smiled, and decided that, for better or for worse, he would go to the clinic to see if Haru was ok and say hi to Ha'ri.

He strolled through the crisp air, letting the breeze run over his skin, and was almost at the clinic when he remembered _oh damn! Ha'ri only likes to see me in boy's clothes now! I better go and get changed... _Changing course, young Momiji started skipping through the Sohma village, towards his large – yet empty, apart from him – house.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five.**

Hatori froze in shock for a second, still unaccustomed to physical contact, before wrapping one arm around his younger cousin, letting Hatsuharu cry all he needed to. _I've never seen him like this before, _he thought, _usually he just goes Black and kicks the living shit out of anyone to make him hurt so badly... unless..._

Haru's sobs were getting quieter, so Hatori placed both his hands lightly onto the youth's shoulders before gently moving him back, looking him in the eyes to say "Haru, sit down – I will get you a drink and you will tell me what is wrong – are we clear?" The younger of the two nodded softly, already starting to wipe away the tears from his eyes. Hatori nodded, satisfied, and walked from the room to go get them a drink each. He moved briskly towards the kitchen of the clinic, which was so large that it also doubled as his home, and boiled the kettle.

_I wonder... has he finally found out? After all this time, has he discovered the one thing about Yuki that he can never be a part of..? If that's the case, then... _though he was unclear of the problem, Ha'ri reached into his private cupboard, fumbling around a bit until he found what he was looking for. He pulled the tall bottle filled with a ginger-brown coloured liquid out, clarifying the label, before measuring out a double shot into a glass, and a shot into each mug. The kettle finally boiled, and he set all three drinks on a tray and carried them back to his office. _If anything this ought to cheer him up a little, _Hatori thought, hating to see any of the Sohma family in pain.

He returned to find Hatsuharu sitting on the veranda, gazing out over the rear garden that Ha'ri was so proud of. Striding outside, he placed the first hot mug beside Haru, before sitting down himself and passing the glass to him.

Hatsuharu took the glass and looked at Hatori to ask "What's this..? You know I'm not legally allowed to drink yet..." before taking a small sip of the whiskey. "I know that Haru. Don't sip it. Gulp it. It has medicinal properties if you down it in one gulp". Haru nodded softly, before lifting the glass to his lips and draining the remainder in one mouthful, shuddering at the aftertaste and reaching for the mug, only to find the same taste there in the hot brew. The dark eyes flew open to look at Hatori with an accusing glare, to which the response was simply "The first was medicinal. This one is to relax you – you may be underage, but I believe that I, as an elder member of our clan, am legally responsible to supply alcohol to you, on our own property..?" Satisfied by this explanation Haru took a deep breath, and began to speak...

"Well, Hatori, I went out this morning to go see..."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six.**

"Yuki? Are you... feeling alright?" Kyo looked at Yuki, _the damn rat – I mean, my cousin _with concern as he lay beside him, breathing heavily. "Your asthma isn't playing up is it..?"

The deep violet eyes looked out from under the luscious grey hair, as Yuki giggled softly back at him "No I'm fine – you should be pleased, you finally beat me at something!" Kyo blushed, grinned and leaned over to kiss the Prince's full, velvety lips. Ever since the curse had been broken, the two had been slowly drawn together – much to the surprise of Tohru when she went to tend the 'Secret Base' one fine day, to find the two boys in a more than compromising position. They returned to Shigure's house to find dinner laid out already, and Tohru babbling with nerves, bright red, refusing to look either of them in the eye. That had upset both Yuki and Kyo, but... how could they help the way they felt? After so many years of fists, feet and threats... of jealousy and envy for the other... how could they help but to realise they were two parts of a whole?

"You know, Kyo..." Yuki started, gazing into the deep crimson eyes next to him, before taking a deep breath, "we... should really think of telling the others. Or at the least Shigure, he has a right to know... after all, we are living in _his_ house..." Kyo got a panicked look on his face, before his eyebrows came to meet in the middle as he thought about it. "I know you're right, Yuki, but... what if they blame us for Tohru leaving? After all..."

"_Yuki... Kyo..." Tohru started, looking at them both from over the table. "I'm... I'm really sorry but... well, I, uhhhh... umm... I have to leave..." Both boys stared back at her, shocked "Tohru..." they both started, Kyo more angrily than Yuki, before they looked at each other and the orange-haired Kyo motioned for Yuki to speak first. "Miss Honda, is this... is this because of what you saw at the base?" Tohru flushed as she recalled the scene in her head, and fought back tears "No, no, no, I... I've been with you all for so, so, so long... I can't stay... I... I can't..." It was at this point that she lost control of her emotion and the tears began to spill, and both boys, instinctively, rushed to her side with concern. "No, please..." She sobbed "please... don't... you both always do this and I don't know why –". It was then she was interrupted by Kyo who couldn't hold it in any more. "Tohru – we love you. We BOTH love you! Damn it, CAN'T YOU SEE THAT!?" Tohru's head jerked up and she glared at each of them angrily; surprising both of them "I can see that you love each other! For all this time, I have had so MUCH trouble trying to decide which of you I love! I love Yuki, his kindness, his honesty, his sensitivity! But I love you too, Kyo! Your quick temper, your courage, your control and your strength! BUT I CAN'T HAVE EITHER ONE OF YOU!!! BECAUSE YOU HAVE EACH OTHER!!!" It was then that Tohru shoved them both roughly to the floor, running up to her bedroom. Neither of them saw her until late the next afternoon, when she seemed to be her usual old self again... until she declared that she was leaving for Tokyo University. Much to Shigure's dismay..._

"I know... I'm worried about that too... but we need to be fair, Kyo..." Yuki murmured at his lover's ear. "... I'll think about it Yuki... just... give me some time..." It was then that Kyo leaned over to kiss Yuki's lips once more, already wanting to feel him inside again, before gathering his clothing together and returning to his bedroom. He wasn't sure he wanted Shigure to see either of them in the position Tohru had, not yet.


End file.
